Mass Trial Of Anti-Government Protesters Begins in Turkey

The trial of 189 demonstrators began in Istanbul over the weekend, after Turkish authorities charged individuals participating in anti-government protests sparked by last month’s arrest of prominent opposition mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the BBC reported. 

The defendants – most of them students, along with eight journalists – are accused of participating in protests banned by authorities, failing to comply with police orders to disperse, and, in some instances, carrying weapons.  

The trial comes a month after Turkish authorities arrested Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu on corruption charges, sparking the largest mass anti-government demonstrations in more than a decade, Euronews noted. 

İmamoğlu and his supporters condemned the detention and charges as a politically motivated move by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ahead of the 2028 presidential elections. 

Despite a ban on public gatherings in Istanbul, the protests quickly grew into nationwide demonstrations, with police detaining more than 2,000 people – the majority of them students. 

The Istanbul prosecutor’s office said more than 800 people will be tried in total, across 20 separate criminal investigations.  

Friday’s trial at the Istanbul courthouse is the first of these proceedings. 

During the opening session, defense lawyers argued for the acquittal of all defendants, calling the charges an assault on constitutional freedoms. 

Human Rights Watch said those on trial face potential prison sentences ranging from six months to five years. According to the Parents Solidarity Network, about 50 students remain in custody, while others were released ahead of the trial following pressure from families and rights groups. 

The court agreed to separate the cases of eight journalists, who were charged with participating in illegal gatherings. Although their lawyers insisted that the reporters were simply doing their jobs, the court rejected their request for immediate acquittal.